How to Share a Short Story

Posted in howtoshareTagged , , , , , , , ,

“Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.” – Benjamin Franklin

Back when my brother had his pilot’s license, I would occasionally fly with him when he needed to get time in practicing take-offs and landings. We’d go on days where the weather was nice and spend an hour or two flying to nearby airports to land and take-off again to meet the minimum requirement for flight hours necessary to maintain his license.

Taking off and landing is the hardest part of flying. And I think that’s the same with writing, isn’t it? It’s why I’m so impressed by short story writers. That’s a lot of take-offs and landings, so to speak.

So I loved this How to Share podcast conversation that award-winning playwright Jack Canfora and I had with author Maxine Rosaler. We delve into her recently released book, The Missing Kidney, a collection of short stories that explore the complexities of human relationships set against the backdrop of New York City in the 1970s and 80s. There are 14 short stories in this collection – and Maxine is an expert at take-offs and landings.

Maxine shares her journey as a writer, discussing her preference for short stories, the therapeutic nature of writing, and the importance of character development. We touch on the evolution of New York City, the themes of truth and denial in her work, and the challenges of navigating personal relationships in fiction. Throughout the conversation, Maxine emphasizes the significance of finding one’s voice and the role of encouragement in a writer’s journey.

Takeaways

  • Maxine’s stories are character-based and often autobiographical.
  • She prefers writing short stories over novels for their conciseness.
  • Writing can be therapeutic, helping to process emotions and experiences.
  • The city of New York serves as a character in her stories.
  • Maxine believes in the goodness of people and explores themes of denial.
  • She emphasizes the importance of finding one’s angle in writing.
  • The evolution of New York City influences her writing and themes.
  • The unconscious mind plays a crucial role in the creative process.

Here’s a short of Maxine’s introducing one of her stories and some of the themes she likes to explore:

Here are some ways you can watch this engaging episode with the “best short story writer you’ve never heard of” per Kirkus Reviews. Until now, of course…

Barbara Nickless on A Voice In The Dark, Online Gaming and The Power of Story – The Life of Try: Personal growth, one try at a time.

In this episode of The Life of Try, host Wynne Leon talks with Wall Street Journal bestselling author Barbara Nickless about her new psychological suspense novel, A Voice in the Dark. Their conversation moves from the dark corners of online gaming and internet manipulation to the real-world vulnerabilities of teenagers, families, and people searching for belonging. Barbara shares how deep research, FBI consultants, and her own curiosity shape her fiction, especially as she writes about FBI profiler Helen Belle, criminal humanist Benedict Hoffman, addiction, trauma, and the question of what draws people toward danger.This thoughtful author interview explores how storytelling can help us understand complicated human experiences, including moral injury, PTSD, addiction, grief, law enforcement, cybercrime, and the healing power of writing. Barbara also reflects on teaching writing to military veterans and civilians, researching dangerous places and difficult subjects, and using narrative to “de-other” people we might otherwise misunderstand. Key Takeaways:→A Voice in the Dark explores the dangers young people can face in online communities, especially when vulnerable teens and young adults are targeted by manipulative influencers.→Storytelling can help us “de-other” people by taking us inside their motivations, histories, and struggles in ways that facts and news stories alone often cannot.→Curiosity is at the heart of Barbara Nickless’s writing process. Her research into online gaming, FBI investigations, addiction, trauma, and moral injury helps make her fiction vivid, compassionate, and grounded in real human experience.→Researching modern crime fiction requires balancing accuracy with readability, particularly when writing about cybercrime, AI, online manipulation, and evolving law enforcement tools.→The conversation highlights a core Life of Try theme: trying begins with curiosity, openness, and a willingness to enter unfamiliar worlds in order to understand ourselves and one another more deeply.If you love conversations about books, personal growth, curiosity, crime fiction, psychological thrillers, resilience, and what it means to keep trying, this episode offers a rich and compassionate look at the stories that help us make sense of ourselves and one another.📘 Order A Voice In the Dark: https://www.amazon.com/Voice-Benedict-Hoffman-Helen-Belle-ebook/dp/B0FTGGHSWL/🌐 Show notes and more inspiration: https://wynneleon.com🔔 Subscribe for more: Subscribe to The Life of Try for more conversations on: personal growth, creativity, reinvention, resilience, writing, and mindset.ABOUT MEHi, I’m Wynne Leon — host of The Life of Try, a personal growth and self-improvement podcast exploring resilience, reinvention, uncertainty, and the courage to keep trying.Through thoughtful interviews, reflective conversations, and real-life stories, I share insights to help you navigate change, get unstuck, and move forward with more intention.🌍 Website: https://wynneleon.com🎥 Watch Next➡️ Letting Go Of Outcomes: The Mindset That Keeps You Moving➡️ 48: How to Get Unstuck: Michael Yang on Saying Yes, Resilience and Coming Alive➡️ How to Finally Write That Book You've Been Dreaming About | Writing Motivation
  1. Barbara Nickless on A Voice In The Dark, Online Gaming and The Power of Story
  2. Embracing What Makes You Different | Kym Gordon Moore
  3. Motive + Means = Opportunity: A Life of Try Story
  4. How Writing Helps Us Survive Chronic Illness and Loss
  5. Near Death, Deep Faith, New Life | Liza Anderson’s Extraordinary Story

How to Share Short Stories transcript

Links for this episode:

⁠The Missing Kidney⁠ website

The Missing Kidney on ⁠Barnes & Noble⁠ and ⁠Amazon⁠

From the Hosts:

⁠Jack Canfora’s website⁠

My book about my beloved father: ⁠Finding My Father’s Faith⁠;

61 thoughts on “How to Share a Short Story”

  4. Believing in truth, goodness, love, and a hate for evil and lying, etc. I imagine most people subscribe to those beliefs, at least publicly.

    Liked by 1 person

  6. Good interview. Loved when Maxine said this: “I’m in love with words and finding the right word and I write, and for me writing is very musical.”
    I love to read written words, and sometimes when I find the ‘music’ in them I wonder – did the author intend for this to happen, or did I luck out and find something unexpectedly beautiful here?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Oh, I love the interplay between author and reader that you pulled out, Rose. That’s so precious! I wonder that too — and I guess in the case of Maxine, we can assume it is! Thanks for listening!

      Liked by 1 person

  8. I admire writers who are prolific in the stories they tell and how they’re able to create a world we immerse ourselves in and are sad to leave.

    Liked by 1 person

      1. Right.! I love reading, and appreciate how some writers create series after series.

        Like

  15. I liked Maxine’s take on her years as a journalist for a community newspaper; she still sought out human interest stories and it helped her hone her writing, which well, was right up my alley. 😊I like her focus on quirkiness. That’s a good thing. Quirkiness is what makes a character, whether real or fiction, stand out. We all want stories that stand out. I like that she looks for humor and the absurditites in life (of which there are so many!) and her honest comment “I’m invested in doing the best work I can.” I felt that. Thanks, Wynne and Jack.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Right up your alley — yes! Love how Maxine’s experience overlaps with yours, Melanie. You are so right about quirkiness and absurdities. So much to mine! Thanks for tuning in, my friend!

      Liked by 1 person

  21. Great Takeaways!!! Thank you!!! Also, my husband and have a fear of flying – can’t even imagine going up for practice landings and take offs! YIKES! That’s braver than throwing yourself out there with books and stories! 😉

    Liked by 1 person

  22. I loved this conversation with Maxine and Jack! New York City is an amazing city and how rich the stories must’ve been in the 70s and 80s – and I say this as someone who loves the present day stories on Humans with New York.

    Listening to the podcast reminded me of when we did a unit on short stories in Grade 9 English and it is an art and a craft in itself to pack so much in a short space. I agree with Maxine the conciseness of the form has its charm and benefits.

    Reading other people’s works is one of the best ways to absorb and learn the craft of writing indeed, Maxine and Wynne!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. What a great comment, Ab. Thank you for listening. Love that you mention the Humans in NY stories – another captivating way to tell a story! You are so right – there is an art and a craft to short stories! Thanks for tuning in, my friend!

      Liked by 1 person

Comments are closed.